Mobile radio communication systems are used extensively in the U.S. to provide communication between fleet operators whose vehicles travel regularly on a regional basis. Typically, these types of systems are used by fire departments, emergency medical services, police, schools, government agencies, and 911 control centers for voice communications. In addition, such systems are used by manufacturing plants for maintenance coordination, security, and safety, as well as by service operators, where dispatching and verbal internal organizational communication is needed between and among field operators and control bases.
Two-way systems used in the prior art, however, are limited in capacity, generally having only been used to communicate voice signals. The communication of data over a wide area in the prior art has been limited to cellular applications wherein a cellular transmission is required each time data is being sent.
The prior art does not allow for an efficient means for transmitting data over a wide area using radio signals in such a way that a remote user may access data collected and communicated through a two-way radio.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a data network system which allowed for data linking between a data collection device used in conjunction with a radio and a user workstation connected to a computer network.